Ian underwent a massive transformation as part of his series Bloodworks and shared the video on YouTube. He worked with Game of Thrones‘ prosthetic makeup designer Barrie Gower to become a White Walker. But he didn’t lose his infamous beard. Designers worked around that facial hair and integrated it into his makeover.

Ian and Gower discuss how the design for the king of the White Walkers came about. The producers wanted him to have a regal, almost royal, look about him. Gower explains how they were toying with the idea of having him wear a crown but instead altered his appearance instead. “Maybe we do something to his physiology so he’s actually got these ice-like thorns growing out of his skull,” he recounts of their decision.

Once Ian begins to don the different prosthetics, he’s struck by how flexible everything is. For every little movement, the mask moves with him as if it were a second skin. Once the prosthetics have been applied, designers step in to add texture, hair, and colored contact lenses. The result is one creepy Ian.